Home Is Where The Heart Is
by Yuusha no Tamashii
Summary: *HIATUS* RebornXOC. Reborn is hired to kill six very dangerous people all by himself. In the process he meets and forms a temporary alliance with Momo Yubari, the weakest, most careless, and most pathetic member of the yakuza he has ever seen. But he wouldn't call her a coward. WARNING: Violence and mild sexual content. Time set prior to KHR series.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hi everyone! I can't believe I'm back with a KHR story! No matter how disappointed I was at the series since the Future Arc, I still have an undying love for Reborn, so I thought I'd write this Reborn story before he is forgotten! So here it is—my last KHR story!

Important Stuff:

-Since Reborn's age was never clearly stated in the series, I'm going to just say that Reborn is about 22-23 years old at his first appearance in this story.

-This is set before the start of the KHR series. I don't intend on using more than one or two KHR characters in this story besides Reborn. Don't like don't read.

-This story crosses over with several Hollywood movies, but I don't believe that you need to watch them to understand.

**With all this said, enjoy!**

* * *

**Home Is Where The Heart Is**

**Japan Arc**

**Part 1**

"Hey Tsuji! Another round of beer for everyone!"

"Yes, yes! Coming up!"

The middle-aged waiter named Tsuji walked past me while mumbling complaints. They mostly had to do with how much liquor we order but never end up paying, but neither him nor the bar owner had the guts to say anything about it. Why do these people fear us? That's because we're the most famous, most powerful, most dangerous yakuza in all of Japan—Crazy 88 led by none other than the Underground Empress O-Ren Ishii.

Yes, O-Ren Ishii, the fearsome Chinese-Japanese-American assassin who ran a whole yakuza by herself in the movie Kill Bill. I should specify: the movie Kill Bill from my world.

In case you haven't guessed it, I seemed to have been transported into this world after I choked on a well-done steak in my previous world—the world of superficial peace, plummeting economy, skyrocketing tuition for higher education, English becoming the universal language, and Barack Obama as the president of my home country. Sadly, those facts were pretty much the only things I remembered from my past life; not my family, not my name, not what kind of person I was, which is the reason why I've refrained from calling that world the 'real world' now. Since I've been in this Kill Bill world for so long, it has all become very real to me.

How do I know that this is the world of Kill Bill, you ask? Well, for some reason, and I think it is because I used to be a huge fan of Quentin Tarantino in my past life, I remember all of his movies. The moment that I began to be able to comprehend things after my rebirth, I recognized the name of my baby sister, Gogo Yubari. Now, _that's_ a major twist in the story! And one to my dismay as well. Our deceased parents have always wondered why, starting at the age of five, the older daughter had a look of despair in her eyes.

If you hadn't watched the movie Kill Bill and you were in my situation, you would think that Gogo was just a normal, cute, little sister. She had fair skin and straight, pitch black hair that even other Japanese girls would envy. With a little sister that cute, I truly didn't want to believe that this Gogo Yubari was the killing machine that I was thinking of. Then again, how common is the name Gogo Yubari?

"_Gogo, you wipe that side of the table, and I'll wipe this side!"_

Just to be sure, I tried to discipline Gogo from a very young age. I gave her educational books, taught her how to do chores, and watched Disney cartoons with her all the time in hopes of preventing the young girl from turning into the killer that she might become in the future.

However, nothing was looking good. It seemed that before I realized what happened, Gogo had already acquired her quietness and emotionless face. She often looked at people with a glare. I was very worried that she might turn bad, so I tried to keep an eye on her most of the time, and she acted normal enough. She wasn't getting bullied at school nor was she bullying other kids. But maybe she was just acting nice because I was around.

A long time passed, and the day that ruined my life came along. Gogo was eleven and I was thirteen. Never before that did I know that our parents were involved in dirty underground business. Gogo Yubari's past was never explained in the movie. It so happened that our parents owed the yakuzas a big amount of money, and since they weren't able to pay them back, the yakuzas decided to come and kill them.

Gogo and I hid in the closet when they barged into our home. We watched through a small crack as the yakuzas decapitated our parents. The image made me want to hurl, so I removed my hands that were loosely covering Gogo's eyes to cover my mouth. Gogo scooted closer to the closet door to peek. O-Ren Ishii was there as well, and noticed our presence very quickly. She ordered her men to get rid of us. I panicked. I know that O-Ren Ishii's gang is not to be messed with, and I know that I wasn't able to do anything even if I was a skilled swordsman or fighter, let alone a thirteen-year-old. But when I looked down at Gogo, and saw her big, innocent eyes opened so wide from shock, I decided that I had to protect my little sister.

I grabbed the dagger that our parents shoved into my arms right before the thugs came in, and watched carefully. One of O-Ren Ishii's men came towards the closet. And when he got close enough, I burst through the doors and leapt toward that man. And I swung the dagger down.

I felt the dagger go into the man's skin. As my weight pulled me down, I held on to the dagger for dear life. It appeared that I had dragged the dagger down from the man's shoulder to stomach. Blood splashed out and all over me.

Through my field of vision, soaked in redness, I saw O-Ren Ishii's astonishment. But soon, that astonishment was replaced by a pleased look.

O-Ren Ishii took us in that day. She liked the way I injured her man, and she liked the expression on Gogo's face when I did. I never got to see that face, but one of O-Ren Ishii's men later told me that it was the happiest, brightest smile he has ever seen on a kid who had just witnessed death. I later realized that Gogo was probably the reason why O-Ren Ishii wanted to take us in. O-Ren, who has killed many men at a young age in vengeance for her father, numbed by the sight of death, has probably saw a reflection of her younger self in Gogo.

Of course, I intended to reject O-Ren's invitation. However, Gogo was more than eager to accept it. I couldn't believe. After all those years of trying to steer Gogo into the right path, she still went to O-Ren's side. For a moment, I thought about parting ways with Gogo, but that was just a passing thought. For one, no matter what she becomes, Gogo was the only family I have left. Secondly, O-Ren wasn't the kind of woman who leaves without taking what she wants.

So there you have it. Gogo and I were taken into O-Ren's care and trained by her personally. It has been six years now and to be honest, I'm still not used to it.

"What took you so long in the restroom, Momo?" a man with a deep scar running down the side of his face asked me as I sat back down at the big table, next to O-Ren.

I glared at the man. Everyone knows that I'm not a good drinker. Even just beer can get me wasted easily. "I was just throwing up everything in my stomach, no biggie," I said.

The man and a few others laughed drunkenly. It's sometimes annoying that these people make fun of you for your weakness to alcohol, but over time I found out that they were good-natured. I looked to O-Ren, who sipped her sake slowly with a smile on her face. On her other side, Sofie Fatale, O-Ren's lawyer, second-in-command, and best friend, giggled at me as well.

It was times like this that made me feel slightly more normal. The gang often visited certain underground bars and nightclubs in town after a big job is done. Everyone drinks and even O-Ren is in a good mood whenever a gathering like this occurs. Other customer may not like it; a group of yakuzas wrecking havoc in a bar. A lot of them finishes their drink quickly and got out. Other ones who stay are either ignorant, or dumb, or too drunk to notice that they're amongst the most dangerous yakuzas in Japan.

"Hey, Momo, look over there!" the man with the scar said to me again, pointing at the bar. "Your sister is getting hit on by a drunk guy!"

I looked over to see Gogo, who was getting drink at the bar, and next to her was a really drunk guy. He looked like a normal, middle-aged, salary-man. His eyes were filled with lust as he got close to Gogo and tried to spark a conversation. The look in the guy's eyes disgusted me and I wanted to go over there and slap him. But just when I was about to get up, Gogo spoke back to the guy.

"Do you want to fuck me?"

The man first had a surprised expression, but then started to laugh.

Gogo slammed her fist on the bar table, making the glasses on the tables quake. "Don't laugh. Do you want to fuck me, yes or no?"

The man was taken back by Gogo's seriousness. He swallowed slowly and answered, "Yes…"

Just as the man gave his answer, Gogo unsheathed her dagger and stabbed the man right in his crotch. The man yelped in pain, and stared horrifyingly at Gogo's face. I couldn't see Gogo's face from this angle, but I'm sure that she had her bloodthirsty look in her eyes.

"How about now, big boy?" Gogo asked, turning her dagger around and around in the man's bleeding crotch. "Do you still wish to penetrate me? Or… is it I… who has penetrated you?"

Gogo pulled out her dagger as she finished her question, and blood came out along with the weapon. It made a disturbing spraying sound and splattered all over Gogo's skirt and legs.

I shuddered at the sight. Some of the members chuckled and applauded Gogo's actions. Gogo looked over and smiled fiendishly. O-Ren gestured for her to clean herself up a bit in the restroom, and Gogo nodded and went. Sometimes I feel useless as Gogo's sister; she doesn't listen to me at all, but follows O-Ren's orders like a machine.

"Momo, look at your sister. Even at seventeen years of age, she's getting all the attention from the men," one of the female members leaned over toward me. I scooted a little bit away; she reeked of alcohol and I can hurl again any time. "Don't you feel a little jealous? I mean, you guys basically look like twins! Why does she get all the spotlight?"

Like getting hit on by middle-aged Japanese pedophiles? No, thanks.

"Don't say that. Momo is going to be embarrassed…" Sofie said sweetly, but it hurt more than it helped. There weren't many females in Crazy 88, and the prettiest ones by far are O-Ren, Sofie, and Gogo. It's true that I look like Gogo, but for some reason, I guess I just don't have the sex appeal that the other three has.

Or maybe it's the ridiculous haircut O-Ren had me get. O-Ren Ishii must have some sort of obsession with Japanese school girl outfits. She insisted that Gogo and I wear school girl outfits instead of the plain black suits that other members wear. Gogo's style is the winter uniform complimented by her long, jet black hair. I, on the other hand, was forced to wear the summer uniform, with a bowl haircut like Japanese school girls in the 80s.

It wasn't fair. But could I complain to O-Ren Ishii? No, she would decapitate me. Besides, it might have been a punishment for my never catching up to Gogo in fighting strength.

"Hey! Hey, look! A hot guy!"

"Oh, it's a foreigner! I wonder where he's from!"

Some of the girls started to make a ruckus when the door to the bar jingled open. Out of curiosity, I stretched my neck to see the newcomer. Mostly because I was surprised that this guy didn't run for it at first sight of the inside of this bar, especially since the bar area was all bloodied thanks to Gogo. On the contrary, the man who walked in looked unfazed by everything. He walked nonchalantly towards the bar and ordered a drink.

After he sat down at the bar, I was able to get a clearer look. He was, indeed, very handsome. Very tall, slim, and he was wearing a very expensive suit. He looked to be a foreigner, but I couldn't tell where from. His eyes were almost not visible as they were hidden in the shadow of his black fedora.

And then, I noticed that O-Ren was staring at him as well.

"O-Ren, that man is…"Sofie whispered behind O-Ren.

"The freelance assassin Reborn… what is he doing in Japan?"O-Ren said calmly but with a tone of confusion.

I was surprised that O-Ren knew the man. But with O-Ren's status, I guess I shouldn't be so surprised.

Assassin, eh? No wonder he isn't scared of this atmosphere. He must be quite skillful too, if O-Ren knew about him.

"Momo," O-Ren put a hand lightly on a shoulder and said, "Go to that man and invite him over for a drink."

Damn it… why couldn't she send Sofie for this? I'm not good at communicating with men… but I have to follow O-Ren's orders. So I stood up and took a deep breath. It's okay, I'm with the most powerful yakuza in Japan; this guy should know better than to mess with me. I flattened out my skirt and put on a "Gogo face" before I strutted toward him. When it's about yakuza business, I always imitated Gogo's facial expressions so that I could fit in.

As I got closer to the man, I could really see his face under the fedora now. He was more than just above-average looking. Way more. Which made me more nervous.

"Mr. Reborn," I said, trying to keep my face as cold as Gogo's. "O-Ren Ishii-sama wishes for you to join our table and buy you a drink."

The man turned his face toward me slowly, and looked at me straight in the eyes for a moment, and then looked me from top to toe. I tell my brain not to make me blush, but I doubt that it was working. For a long while, he didn't answer me. I felt extremely awkward.

And then I realized that this foreign may not understand Japanese. Good thing I still retained my English language skills from my past life. I repeated my invitation in English for the man.

The man raised his eyebrow slightly, and one side of his lips curled up into a small smirk. He stood right up and walked past me. Before he was completely out of my hearing range, I heard him mutter something under his breath. Maybe I didn't hear correctly, but whatever he said didn't sound like English or Japanese. Maybe Spanish? I don't know.

I turned around and found the man sitting where I was before, next to O-Ren. He and O-Ren chatted up instantly, and they were speaking Japanese together! He spoke it perfectly too!

Suddenly I felt like I was tricked and, as a result, embarrassed. If he understood me the first time, why didn't he answer me! Did he not want to speak to me? Because I'm a ridiculous Japanese teen with a bowl haircut?

Gogo came back from the restroom after a while. And before even noticing that I was by myself at the bar, she went over to O-Ren. The man named Reborn noticed her, and O-Ren introduced Gogo to him. He and Gogo exchanged a few words civilly.

I had to fight the urge not to smash the glasses on the bar table. Why? Why only me?!

In frustration, I stumped out of the bar to get some fresh air. A few members noticed me, but none said anything.

I walked further and further away until I found a park. No one was in the park at this hour, and there was a peaceful quietness. I looked up at the sky, but was disappointed at the small, starless space. I sat down on a bench in the park and relaxed. I don't get to relax very often, being in a yakuza and all. I have to say that, even after six years of training and real-life battle that included countless murder, I cannot get used to it. I still feel sick in the stomach every time I had to take someone's life. I envied Gogo sometimes for actually being able to get enjoyment out of it. But most of the time, I get scared at that thought because I know that my conscience would not allow me to kill someone out of enjoyment.

I wonder why I've been reborn into such a place. I don't belong with Gogo, or O-Ren, or Crazy 88. I'm not made for that. But I've already been involved too deeply…

My thoughts became blurred as exhaustion took over. While holding my stomach to keep warm, I went in and out of sleep on the park bench.

After what felt like an hour, I felt a new presence next to me. I looked to my right. It was the foreign assassin. He didn't appear to be drunk or the least bit tipsy. He looked down at me with some sort of smirk, and I shivered. Whatever he's thinking, I have a feeling that it wasn't anything good. But if I learned anything from the yakuza, it's that if you lose at imposition, you lose at everything.

"What do you want?" I said as coldly as my voice allowed.

I heard him laugh through his nose. He walked closer to me, and I noticed that he was holding something behind his back, so I panicked. A weapon? What is he going to do? No, if he was an acquaintance of O-Ren's, he would know better than to mess with her people. Why doesn't this guy say anything? I know he understands Japanese.

He stopped right in front of me, and said something in that foreign language again.

At this, I snapped and glared at him.

"Are you trying to make fun of me?! What are you trying to pull?! I know you speak Japanese! If you don't have something important to say, then stop wasting both of our time! I'll let you in on something: I've got a bad temper!" I blurted out the first words I can think of as fast as I could, and hoped that he doesn't notice my shakiness. Meanwhile, I reached my hand toward my waist for the scabbard.

Eh?

Where's my katana?

"It's my first time seeing a member of the yakuza run out of a bar without her sword."

I looked up at the man as he spoke in his perfect Japanese and his fiendishly low, smooth voice. The moon behind him darkened his face, but I could still his smile clearly. And this time, I realized that he was not simply attractive as I thought before. That smile was teasing, sadistic, and most of all, fear-inducing.

He moved the hand behind his back to the front; he had my sword. My sword, custom made for my height and build, looked like a child's toy in his hand.

"How surprising that O-Ren would keep such a weakling at her side…"

I reached for the sword unconsciously, but he pulled it away.

Hearing a dreadful click, and feeling an icy cold object pressed on my forehead, the only thing I thought was: "Nineteen years. Ah, what a short life…"

The man was still smiling as if he wasn't pointing a gun at a teenage girl, and I have just noticed that he had very interesting sideburns.

"Now, you can either follow my orders, or I can send you on a trip to Sanzugawa*."

So what I want to know is…

Why do assassins and the likes always do this?

No matter if it's this man or O-Ren Ishii…

They give you a choice…

BUT THEY WOULD KILL YOU IF YOU DON'T CHOOSE THE RIGHT ONE ANYWAY! WHAT'S THE POINT OF THAT!

* * *

**To be continued**

* * *

A/N: So how was that? Review please!

*Sanzugawa: Japanese mythical river that separates the living world and the world of the dead. Basically the Japanese version of the River of Styx.


	2. Chapter 2

**Home Is Where The Heart Is**

**Japan Arc**

**Part 2**

As a member of the strongest yakuza in Japan, I have to admit that I am ashamed. I could not think of loyalty or self-dignity at all at gunpoint, and surrendered to the enemy right away in exchange for my life. Although I've been through many fights with Crazy 88, I've never had a gun pointed at my head. The funny thing with yakuzas is that they have a strange determination to use katana for fighting. And even though my strength does not match up to Gogo, I am still pretty confident about my sword-fighting ability.

But what is a girl to do against a gun? WITHOUT HER SWORD TOO.

"…What do you want me to do? Give you Crazy 88's secrets? I don't know much… I don't even know most of their real names… I'm pretty useless…" I babbled with my hands over my head. O-Ren would probably disown me if she saw me like this.

The man named Reborn retrieved his gun from my forehead. "I will contact you tomorrow about what to do. For the rest of the night, go home and prepare yourself to completely betray your comrades."

Reborn threw me the katana and began to walk away. I was pretty much stupefied at that moment, but I could swear that I saw a sadistic smirk on his face before he turned away.

I sat there on the bench, holding out my katana like an idiot for a while, letting the reality of what happened sink in. The man wants me to prepare myself to betray the gang. That probably means that he wants me to kill them eventually, right? Does he also imply O-Ren? Because I don't have the confidence to do it.

"Momo!"

I looked to the side from hearing the familiar voice. One member from Crazy 88 was running toward me.

"K?" I called his codename. All Crazy 88 members had codenames except for the higher-ups, including O-Ren Ishii, Sofia Fatale, Johnny Mo, Gogo and me, because we already have such a reputation in Japan anyway.

"There you are… I was wondering where you were," K said as he patted his gelled-back hair to make sure that it wasn't messed up.

"Really? I thought nobody cared…" I scoffed at him. He was one of the few gang members that I was more comfortable to be myself with.

"Don't be like that," the guy pulled me up from the bench, and led me in the direction back to the bar. "We're heading back to HQ now."

* * *

On the next day, I got up early for my lesson with O-Ren. The members of Crazy 88 train on a daily basis. For two days in a week, I get one-on-one swords lessons with O-Ren. O-Ren used to teach both Gogo and me, but halfway through, Gogo began to train with meteor darts by herself. Gogo was already good with swords, but she took more interest in meteor darts for their destructiveness, despite the speed that one might lose. O-Ren approved of her decision; Gogo had always surpassed me in body strength and the usage of weaponry.

"Ha-!" I swung my wooden sword down at O-Ren, who simply blocked the attack.

"You're swings are harder now," O-Ren commented. "But with swords, you cannot just depend on brute force. Figure out your opponent's body movements and attack accordingly."

"Yes!" I said and swung toward O-Ren's side. She deflected my sword, and with the momentum I turned and stabbed at her neck. She dodged her head to the side and her hand came back up, and used the butt of her sword to strike my wrist. Upon impact, my hand loosened from the pain and she easily knocked my sword away from a second strike with her sword.

I grimaced; O-Ren will probably scold me again.

"Too slow…" O-Ren said with a sigh. "There is no confidence in your swordplay, Momo. You cannot defeat me unless you are ready to kill me."

"…Yes…" I chewed on my bottom lip.

What O-Ren said was easier said than done. If I were strong enough to kill O-Ren, I would have done so long time ago. I would have broken away from Crazy 88 and take Gogo away with me, away from this corrupt life. But the truth is that I cannot kill O-Ren. She was a member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad that included top assassins in the world. Especially when it comes to swordsmanship, it's almost impossible to catch up to her. In the movie, she only lost against the main character because Black Mamba had an overpowering sword.

"Ishii-sama!"

The scar-face from last night burst into the dojo as I picked up my sword from the floor. O-Ren looked toward the sliding door with an irritated expression; she hated when people interrupted her.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but Gogo is picking a fight with a man outside!" the scar-face got to the point smartly to avoid O-Ren's anger, and the news was certainly big enough to trouble O-Ren. "It looks like that Italian from last night!"

I widened my eyes. The scar-face must be talking about that Reborn guy! I remembered that he said he'd contact me today. That's right, at that time I wondered how he was going to contact me, since I didn't have a cell phone or anything. Visiting our headquarters was the last thing I'd expect from him! Even for a skilled hitman, isn't it too dangerous to come here all by himself?

O-Ren hurried out to the entrance of the headquarters and I followed suit. Crazy 88's headquarters was built underground where old train tracks used to be. It took three years to completely renovate and expand to the size that O-Ren wanted. In the surface, the previous train station was taken down and O-Ren had it turned into a video shop as a front. The stairs that reach our hideout are behind locked doors; not even the workers in the video shop have keys to open them, and they weren't ever told what's behind them. Well, that is probably the reason why Mr. Yoshida, the part-timer at the video shop, was scared out of his mind as he sprawled out on the floor, watching Reborn pointing his gun at Gogo, who was swinging her meteor dart above her head.

"How did you find out about this place?" Gogo growled menacingly at the man.

"Your mistress is famous in Japan. It's a cute idea, but this front had lost its purpose long time ago with a lot of small gangs rising around this area." Reborn smirked.

"Gogo, put down your weapon!" O-Ren stepped between the two right away. She nodded courteously at Reborn, which was surprising for me and Gogo.

Gogo put down her meteor darts with a dark look on her face, clearly irritated of being scolded by O-Ren. At the same time, Reborn also lowered his gun and put it back inside his jacket.

"Mr. Reborn, I'm not sure what you're here for, but I suspect that it's something that you wish to talk about in private," said O-Ren.

O-Ren turned around and gave Gogo a nod; it was a reassurance to Gogo that she hadn't done anything wrong to protect our hideout, but the visitor was someone special this time. Without another word, Gogo retrieved and so did I. O-Ren and Reborn exchanged a few words outside, and came into the hideout together. O-Ren walked him toward the conference room, and as they passed by me, I could hear them talk about a rival yakuza gang and their whereabouts.

"I thought the underground empress O-Ren Ishii would definitely have intel on them," said Reborn. I could swear that there as a tiny bit of sarcasm when he said the word "empress". "And there is no reason for you to refuse me, because you have been at each other's neck for a few years now…"

"You've come to the right person, but…" O-Ren replied cautiously. "It is impossible for you to assassinate their leader. As you have said, even with the all of the members of Crazy 88, including Gogo, our forces are equal. Whoever hired you must have a lot of faith in you for sending you out on this alone. I'm sorry, but we cannot aid you with your job."

"I do not need your aid," said Reborn with a tone of disapproval. "I simply need a tour guide."

"A tour guide?"

"Yes, someone to show me around these unfamiliar streets of Tokyo," Reborn stopped in his track and turned his head back slightly to glance at me for a brief second. O-Ren looked at me as well after Reborn's gesture.

"You are asking for Momo?" O-Ren asked, a small frown forming between her brows.

"I'm quite fond of her," Reborn said jokingly while glancing my way. "She looks harmless, doesn't she? There will be less suspicion."

My heart pounded nervously now that both Reborn and O-Ren were staring at me. O-Ren obviously didn't look happy about that idea. No one could tell if those were Reborn's true intentions.

"…Let me consult with Sofia first…" O-Ren said after a short pause, and walked away to phone her confidante.

In the end, I was sold to Reborn as a bodyguard. O-Ren only came to terms with my accompanying Reborn to an enemy territory if Reborn agreed to pay a large sum of money. One part of the fee was a compensation in case neither of us return alive, and the other part was a fee for technically hiring me for a day.

To be honest, I was a bit upset that O-Ren would sell me to a complete outsider like this, but it's not like I am Gogo, whom she'll never let out of sight.

I went to my and Gogo's room to pack up some things before I went with Reborn. Even though I say that, I really only picked up my katana. Then, I got called to O-Ren's private office to retrieve information about the gang that we were after. O-Ren didn't give me much information besides their location. Before I left, she ordered me to leave Reborn as soon as we get to their hideout. Of course, O-Ren wouldn't play fair.

Leaving O-Ren's office, I headed toward the video shop at the surface, where Reborn was waiting. As I walked down the long hallway, a hand patted my back. I turned around to see K.

"Why did you agree to go with him?" he asked sternly.

I was disappointed that it wasn't Gogo who had come to express her worry or say goodbye.

"Do I have a choice? O-Ren sold me off!"

"She would have refused that guy if you said you didn't want to go! She thinks of you as a great asset to the gang, you know?"

I shrugged and turned away. "It'll only be a day!"

* * *

When I arrived at the surface, Reborn didn't say a word to me and led me to his car. I looked at the black sports car speechlessly; how rich do you have to be to buy a brand new sports car like this just for a short trip to Japan? Funny how criminals turn out wealthier than the hardworking and honest.

Reborn motioned for me to get into the passenger's seat and I did exactly that. It was when I closed the door and fastened my seatbelt that I realized that I shouldn't follow his orders so easily. Maybe I am naturally obedient.

"Um… may I ask where we're going?" I asked timidly.

"To get you some different clothes," Reborn replied, not looking away from the road. "The schoolgirl uniform thing may be O-Ren Ishii's fetish, but not mine."

"So we're not…going after the Black Lotus?"

"Do you think I'd choose you to accompany me if I was really after the Black Lotus?"

My ears burned with embarrassment. "…No…"

Reborn drove with one hand while his other hand rested relaxingly on the stick shift. It seemed like he knew exactly where he was going as he drove into the streets of Ginza. I looked around Tokyo's famous luxurious shopping district with eyes of wonder; ever since Gogo and I joined Crazy 88, we haven't worn anything besides schoolgirl uniforms, let alone going out shopping for our own clothes. But even if we were given that freedom, Ginza wasn't a place I would visit anyway. Everything seemed way too expensive.

Reborn seemed to have noticed my dumb look as I stared at all the shops with my mouth open.

"Even the bodyguard of one of the richest woman in Japan doesn't get much luxury, I see."

I turned around and frowned at his sarcasm. However, I did not say anything to defend my mistress, because just a second ago I was really thinking of the same thing.

Seemingly knowing what I'm thinking, the corner of his mouth raised slightly.

"I think you're ready to hear the real story," he said, pulling into the parking lot of a department store. "I'm sure this has already come across your mind. The one I'm after is your boss, O-Ren Ishii."

I widened my eyes just a bit; like he said, I had expected something like this.

"You think that you and I alone can take on Crazy 88?"

"It's possible, but my target is only O-Ren Ishii. However, my job does not only include assassinating O-Ren Ishii, but five other people that are associated with her. These people hid their identity quite well, except for O-Ren Ishii, who foolishly makes a huge reputation out of herself."

The Deadly Vipers Assassin Squad, I thought to myself.

"Killing O-Ren Ishii is one thing, but it would be more efficient to get information about the other five before killing her. I need someone whom she trusts to get that information out of her. And after scouting out the headquarters today, you, just like I thought before, are the best candidate."

Reborn parked the car in the nearly empty lot and got out swiftly, while I scurried out with my sword in my hand. The hitman raised an eyebrow at me, and I flushed at my silliness. What would people think if I carried a sword into the department store?

I opened the car door with my head lowered and threw the sword back in quickly. "So… why did you choose me?"

"Because you're not loyal to the gang nor are you even made for it," Reborn answered without a second of hesitation. "I could tell when I first land my eyes on you, no matter how hard you tried to pretend. Other people would have tried to kill me when I first made a one-on-one contact with them."

He turned his head toward me and sneered. "Even now, knowing that my goal is to kill your mistress, you still do not have any hostility towards me."

I felt my heart pound hard at that. Not from nervousness or guilt or anything like that, but how spot on he was about me. Although I've tried to fit in with the gang, I never realized that my true nature was seen straight through. Now that I think of it, even though Gogo had met Reborn before, she didn't hesitate to stand up to him when he infiltrated our base. And even when O-Ren welcomed Reborn with courtesy, she never really trusted him in the end.

It really made me wonder if O-Ren ever noticed it. I could understand if the other gang members couldn't catch it, but I have always pegged O-Ren as a very sharp individual. Maybe she knows that even if I'm not loyal, I don't have the guts to act against in any way.

The next hour consisted of me following Reborn while he picked out expensive short dresses that I would never even bother to pick them up from the rack because I already know that I don't have the money to pay for the zippers. And every time I stepped out of the dressing room, I would see Reborn glance at the scars on my knees and legs. To be honest, I was really embarrassed, having my beat-up legs stared at like that by a man. In the end, Reborn put me into a really expensive set of kimono with intricate details in the design and made with the best fabric.

I probably couldn't wear kimonos better than O-Ren, but perhaps the beauty of the garment itself actually made me look flattering. However, the sad truth is that kimonos are extremely hard to move around in.

After that, Reborn took me out to dinner. Unlike what I imagined he would take me, he took me to a quiet izakaya, and even got a room where we could sit on tatami mats. I thought he would definitely go to a five-star restaurant, but it was surely surprising. When I commented about that, he didn't even bother to look at me, and just sipped his sake.

"I appreciate the traditional Japanese cuisine…" he said.

"…" I sat there, awkwardly quiet, and watched him eat while chewing my own food slowly. He held the chopsticks perfectly. It seems like he can do anything. Why is a man like this a hitman?

"Is it okay to be this relaxed when you're going to be facing off O-Ren Ishii very soon?"

"You should be the one worrying; I have no problem killing O-Ren Ishii," Reborn sneered at me again. "You, on the other hand, need to dig information out of her without being suspected. Of course, judging by your intelligence so far, there is a fifty-fifty chance that you'll be suspected. But the worst scenario would be that she kills you for treason, and I'd have to kill O-Ren Ishii and find the other five targets by myself."

If he wasn't such a jerk, maybe he would be the perfect man.

I wonder why I even agreed to help him. The good thing is that I already know about the Deadly Vipers Assassins Squad, and I can give him that information without having to risk my life in front of O-Ren.

And I guess… I'm seeing a little bit of hope that this might be a chance for me to leave the yakuza forever.

Suddenly, my cell phone's text message tone rang.

I don't know why, but I looked toward Reborn for permission to look at my phone. Reborn didn't even pay any attention to me. So I flipped my phone open and saw that it was a message from K.

"_Hurry over to House of Blue Leaves!" _

I felt my chest tighten at those few words. The night at House of Blue Leaves only means one thing: the Bride has come for her revenge on O-Ren. And on this night, the Crazy 88 will be destroyed in its entirety. Including…

"Mister Reborn," I stood up abruptly, causing the man to look at me. "I can do all those things for you… if you agree to one condition."

Reborn raised at eyebrow at me, probably surprised at my sudden serious tone. "Do you think you're in a position where you can place conditions?"

"All I ask for…" I raised my voice and looked away from him. "…is to help keep Gogo safe!"

* * *

**To Be Continued**


End file.
